Stylist, consultant and all-round business babe Sharmadean Reid is a woman with expertly manicured fingers in a lot of pies.

But she’s perhaps best known as the founder of Wah Nails – the cult east London salon that now has a permanent base in Topshop’s flagship store in Oxford Circus, hosts pop-ups across the planet, and has decked out the likes of MIA and Daisy Lowe.

Now the 29-year-old is bringing out her second book, The Wah Nails Book Of Downtown Girls, which combines step-by-step nail art instruction with entrepreneurial tips, style commandments and assorted life lessons.

Wah’s nail art is much more than just a nice manicure – it’s an affordable, accessible and endlessly versatile way to express yourself.

When Wah opened in 2009, there wasn’t really anyone else in Britain doing a similar style of nail art on such a large scale but Reid was sure the demand would be there.

‘My ex-boyfriend spotted a place to rent about two minutes from where I lived – there was no toilet, or even a floor but I took it,’ says Reid. ‘I’d never do that now. I lived hand-to-mouth for two years but I knew 100 per cent that it was going to work.’

Reid’s new book features creative movers and shakers from across the globe sharing their stories – from Into The Gloss beauty blog founder Emily Weiss to Japanese fashion designer Yoon.

Inspiration by example is a big thing for Reid. ‘I always read interviews with inspiring women,’ she says. ‘Martha Stewart and Oprah are my two favourites – they’re so bad-boy. Especially Martha because she’s been in the pen.’

Nowadays, she’s obsessed with encouraging other women into business. ‘I love that I inspire other women,’ she says. ‘I know there’s a limit to where you can go as a nail technician so I’m always looking for ways to develop the business so I can take a nail technician out and put her in another role. I’d like to run some sort of academy for businesswomen.’

Reid has a two-and-a-half-year old son, Roman. ‘A lot of my staff are single mums,’ she says. ‘I get how hard it is to juggle everything but I always imagined a life where I’d have a child fitting in with my busy work life, right from a young age. The difference is that I’m my own boss and I have money so I try to help as much as possible.’

Although she’s now in the hub of a distinctly east London scene, Reid grew up in Wolverhampton – and she emphasises that being a ‘downtown’ girl is all about a state of mind, rather than any geographical location.

The bright, mash-up design of her book reflects her own style, which was influenced by her upbringing. ‘There was definitely a real indie vibe,’ she says. ‘I remember going to the army shop and buying camouflage but my family’s Jamaican and my aunties and my mum always looked really glamorous. It was just a mixture of ragga and rock – and I always say Wah is a punk attitude with a hip hop aesthetic.’

Reid’s eclectic taste is one of the reasons girls look up to her – but she can’t stand being copied, and refuses to buy into hype.
‘It used to be that if you saw a girl wearing a Supreme T-shirt it meant you were on the same wavelength,’ she says, ‘but now loads of the skate brands I used to wear are in Urban Outfitters. I like to be original and it bugs me when people copy me but it’s lame in a way to think I put in so much effort. Putting in effort is not sexy at all.’

The Wah brand began life as a fanzine created by Reid and the new book carries through its original aesthetic. And although she recognises the importance of the internet, her heart belongs with the printed page.

‘I love books and magazines: the smell and feel of them can’t be replaced,’ she says. ‘But I look at all the glossies now and they’re all the same. None of them have anything new to say. A magazine should be a window into another world.’

Despite being a popular figure on Instagram, Reid is cautious about the darker side of social media. ‘Social media gives everyone status anxiety,’ she says. If it’s making you unhappy, get off the internet.’

With a recent pop-up restaurant under her belt, plus plans for a range of Wah merchandise and a hotel and restaurant business afoot, Reid seems unstoppable – and she wants other young women to share her confidence. ‘It makes me sad the way some young girls always put themselves down and think they have to behave in a certain way,’ she says. ‘There are some things that just aren’t cool. I can show them XY and Z but they still have to find it out for themselves.’

The Wah Nails Book Of Downtown Girls by Sharmadean Reid (£11.99, Hardie Grant) is published on Sep 17.